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I am striker that was so close to Celtic transfer on deadline day but my move collapsed for one key reason

It was a similar case for the Hoops in this winter window as they failed to replace Kyogo Furuhashi

(Image: DAILY RECORD)

It was a relatively quiet deadline day at Celtic Park with the Scottish champions left wanting in their frantic search for a striker.

Time ran out for Celtic as they chased a replacement for Kyogo Furuhashi after his £10m switch to Stade Rennes with Adam Idah left as the only recognised first-team striker at the club, albeit Johnny Kenny will be his understudy following his return from a loan spell at Shamrock Rovers.


Celtic had been tracking long term target Mathias Kvistgaarden but their interest cooled when Brondby bumped up their valuation to around £14m - while Slovan Bratislava man David Strelec’s £8m price tag was viewed as too steep as well. Deals for Danny Ings and Kelechi Iheanacho failed to get off the ground - leaving Jeffrey Schlupp as the only last-minute recruit on loan from Crystal Palace.


However, it's not the first time Celtic have seen a deadline day push for a new frontman fall apart. Back in February 2015, the Hoops were on the brink of bringing in Robbie Muirhead from Kilmarnock.

Aged 20, the striker was viewed as a rising star of the Scottish game with the frontman claiming he was "very close" to a move to Glasgow's east end. However, in the end he would join Dundee United for an six-figure fee.

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Livingston's Robbie Muirhead
Livingston's Robbie Muirhead (Image: SNS Group)

Asked how close he was to joining the Hoops under Ronny Deila, Muirhead said: “Very close! On deadline day I was sitting in the house all day up until about 9pm thinking I was going to Celtic.

“It was only then that the deal was called off because Celtic had to spend an extra £250,000 on Gary Mackay-Steven. They said they’d leave it until the summer. In the end, I drove to Tannadice and got there at 11.40pm. By 11.52pm I’d signed and they rushed through the paperwork.”

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Muirhead joined Livingston last summer after a successful five-year spell with Morton. The 28-year-old has netted nine goals so far this term and is playing a key role in David Martindale's promotion push.

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Celtic FCCeltic Transfer NewsTransfer TalkScottish PremiershipAdam IdahKyogo FuruhashiBrendan RodgersMathias KvistgaardenRonny DeilaDundee United FC
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